As a result of inflation and the cost-of-living crisis, shoppers have tightened their grocery spending. Consumers are also more time-poor and stressed than ever. So, when it comes to food buying, cost and convenience often trump nutritional value – an urgent problem for families who can’t meet their daily nutrient requirements or safeguard their longer-term health. 

A key theme in Food + Health Trends: 2023, immunity remains topical for 2024 and beyond. However, consumers’ understanding of immune defence has evolved over the past year, alongside the emergence of new research and prolific product development. As people learn more about this subject, words like “inflammation” and “postbiotics” are becoming part of mainstream conversations.

Food is a well-recognised agent in the prevention and management of chronic and temporary health conditions. As such, brands, product developers and nutrition experts are creating food and drink products that address specific wellness needs – ranging from antioxidant-rich edibles that can reduce breast cancer risk to trigger-free snacks that don’t catalyse the onset of a migraine.

Consumers are connecting the dots between their food and drink intake and their ability to manage their moods. Ingredients that enable gentle mood modulation – particularly when it comes to reducing anxiety and stress – remain of high interest. Elsewhere, caffeine-free living is catching on among individuals who want to eliminate undesirable energy-level fluctuations. 

As the global population ages, interest in looking after one’s healthspan swells. Blue zone destinations inspire lifestyle and dietary changes from consumers as well as new product development from brands looking to harness this momentum. Meanwhile, a focus on optimal midlife nutrition encourages people to take a preventative approach to ageing. 

Most consumers don’t realise when they’re dehydrated, even to a chronic level. As global temperatures rise, this phenomenon will worsen. Wellness-aligned brands are stepping in with products that replenish hydration levels in convenient ways.